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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27663641">Soldier's Promise</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/captaindominoes/pseuds/captaindominoes'>captaindominoes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Soldier's Creed [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Past Rape/Non-con, Rape Aftermath, Rape Recovery</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:29:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,384</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27663641</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/captaindominoes/pseuds/captaindominoes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been six months since it happened. Sworn to silence, Wooley’s secret festered, an open wound of shame and sorrow. Nothing could have prepared him for that bubble to burst; a dirty general and a handful of broken brothers all thrust into the light. Now, Wooley had a decision to make, one that would forever impact his reputation. Commander Cody had to know. He had a right to, and Wooley had to be the one to tell him. Any day now, Wooley would march into his office and lay it all out, reveal General Vale’s crimes so Commander Cody could finally realize who he truly was. Only then could Wooley find the peace and healing he’d been so desperately seeking.</p><p>Any day now.</p><p>**The sequel to "A Most Loyal Solider"***</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CC-2224 | Cody &amp; Wooley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Soldier's Creed [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2022734</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>126</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Soldier's Promise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This work has been several months in the making. It's taken me a long time not just to find the words, but the emotion behind this story. I anticipate expanding this series sometime in the future. I look forward to seeing where it will take me. </p><p>Big shoutout to my good friend BlueHairedGrace1010 on ao3 and @blue-haired-grace on Tumblr for Beta reading this for me. Thanks for all your hard work and support!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>There were a thousand and one excuses for why Wooley could not see Commander Cody that day, and when he reached the thousand and second, Wooley found more to entertain his thoughts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Waking up late meant that Wooley had to rush to the mess to grab his breakfast before his early morning shift. His Sergeant was already waiting for him with a disapproving stare when he arrived at the hangar bay, though Wooley felt more secretly relieved than chastised. It was easy enough to throw himself into the monotony of his work. His armor, still shiny and blindingly white, earned him the most menial and mind-numbing tasks. Any other day, Wooley would grumble along with his brothers to pass the time, complaining about the work, the heat, the heaviness of their gear, and anything else they could come up with. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Today, Wooley allowed the minutes to silently tick by until their Sergeant called them out for chow and they broke away from their work. He’d had a full day; after waking up late, working through his lunch break, and staying after to complete a few more tasks for the Sarge, he had little energy or motivation to track down Commander Cody. When evening chow had finished, Longshot invited him to spar, and Wooley was never one to back down from a challenge. He tried to ignore the small burst of relief he felt upon entering the gym and realizing his last opportunity to speak to Cody had slipped by unnoticed. There was always tomorrow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, Wooley was conveniently ignoring the fact that he’d said the exact same thing to himself yesterday. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The decision hadn’t come to him lightly. Several weeks had passed since Wooley’s conversation with Dogma, and his emotional turmoil had only increased since then. The initial comfort he had felt after Dogma’s reassurance that what happened to him was wrong had faded away, only to be replaced by the same guilt, confusion, and anger that had plagued Wooley after the first time General Vale put his hands on him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was fully his choice. Wooley knew that. To tell Commander Cody, or to let his secret fall to the shadows. It mattered little in the grand scheme of things. Vale was imprisoned, and his crimes had already been revealed to the Jedi Council. Dogma’s confession no longer stood alone. Besides the evidence already gathered, several of the Corrie boys had come forward in the weeks that followed. The private meetings Commander Cody had been having with Commander Wolffe, Commander Bly, Commander Ponds, and Captain Keeli only further informed the men that this was bigger than them. Bigger than one man. This was downright systemic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yet some part of him still nagged. Wooley was an imposter among his brothers. Every time someone brought up Vale in the hushed tones of mess hall gossip, Wooley was forced to play along, speculating about the trial and showing sympathy and anger for the brothers who had been affected. Like he didn’t know exactly what it felt like to have Vale’s hands on him against his will, like he didn’t remember the weight of Vale’s body trapping him, like he didn’t see those piercing eyes and that smug smile every time he closed his eyes, like the smell of Vale’s putrid musk didn’t still burn his nostrils. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooley wanted to pretend he had moved past it. He should have already. It had happened over six months ago. But the truth was that he hadn’t, couldn’t, not while he still walked a living nightmare of secrets and shame. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sparring proved to be an adequate distraction from his whirlwind thoughts after his shift. Longshot accompanied Wooley as they left the gym together, faces flushed and dripping sweat after the intense final round they’d had. As usual, Longshot was chatting away, and Wooley was compelled to roll his eyes at his brother’s braggadocio. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you have any </span>
  <em>
    <span>gett’se </span>
  </em>
  <span>you’d face me again tomorrow. I was tired on the last round. ‘Course you got the drop on me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooley mopped the sweat off his forehead with his towel and nudged Longshot in the ribs. “You think so? I’d say your form was sloppy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sloppy, eh?” Longshot snapped his towel at Wooley, prompting the first burst of laughter out of his brother all day. “I’ll show you how sloppy I can be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, I see enough of you flailing around the mat already.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? Maybe we should spar more often, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though Longshot tried to hide it, the hesitation in his voice bled through the air he put on. Wooley’s smile faded, and he found himself lapsing into awkward silence beside Longshot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, it’s just…” Longshot faltered. “It’s really good to hear you laugh again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The quiet between them lingered, neither knowing what to say to that. They both knew Longshot was right, but putting the emotion of the last few weeks into words was more difficult than Wooley anticipated. He was saved from scrounging up an explanation by the voice that broke the tense atmosphere between them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wooley.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The soles of Wooley’s boots squeaked against the cold floor as he stopped, hands gripping the towel between them. That voice was a bucket of ice water over his head, dousing him with dread in an instant. Wooley turned, expression neutral as it could be, and clasped his hands behind his back out of respect. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Commander Cody’s stance was lax as he stood, bucket tucked under his arm, and addressed Wooley. “If you have a moment, I’d like to see you in my quarters.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A slow, sick, sinking sensation traveled from Wooley’s chest to settle in the pit of his stomach. He had spent all day avoiding the Commander, and just like that, fate had come for him anyway. If he was going to do it, it had to be now. Months-old guilt had made a home in his chest. Letting it out was daunting, but even more terrifying was the thought of allowing it to fester even longer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a quick promise to Longshot that he’d join him for an evening game of Sabacc, Wooley followed the Commander. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Commander’s quarters weren’t far from general berthing. Wooley found himself in front of the sliding blast doors sooner than he would have liked. Cody keyed in his code and stepped inside, Wooley on his heels. The only sound in the room after the doors sealed again was the rushing of blood in Wooley’s ears and the thumping of his heart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sharp eyes scanned Wooley’s face as Cody took a seat at his desk. The only other place to sit was his bunk, so Wooley awkwardly stood until Cody insisted he take it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wooley, I wanted to talk to you about something important.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.” Wooley absentmindedly ran his hands over his knees as he sat, eyes flickering about the room. He had never been in the Commander’s quarters before, besides the one time he had been tasked with dropping off a datapad when he was on shift. Then, he had been nervous and shy, so much so that the datapad shook as he handed it over. The only emotion Wooley felt now was apprehension. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A report came across my desk today,” Cody began, folding his hands loosely in his lap. “I was surprised to see you were written up for being late three times in one standard month.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Humiliation colored Wooley’s cheeks. He bowed his head, suddenly finding it hard to look Cody in the eyes. Here he was, sitting in front of the Marshal Commander for the entire kriffing Third Systems Army, and he was being reprimanded for being late a few days out of the month. If Sergeant Dodge wanted to give him a wakeup call, he needn’t have gone for the nuclear option. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir…” Wooley set his jaw and forced himself to look Cody in the eyes. Might as well own up to his mistakes. What did he have to lose, anyway? “No excuses, sir. It won’t happen again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not worried about it happening again. I’m more concerned about your recent behavior.” Cody picked up a datapad off his desk and began to read its contents, “Disciplined three times for being late, twice for unsatisfactory performance, again for leaving shift early, and for faking sick.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooley bristled where he sat as indignation rose within him. “I wasn’t, sir.” His voice got quieter as he recalled that day, when he had spent an hour crying and shaking on the floor of the ‘fresher after vomiting his breakfast up into the toilet. An anxiety attack, he had later learned. In the moment, it had felt like his whole chest was caving in and he might die there, alone, cold, and scared. He hadn’t, but part of him wished he had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t, sir. I wasn’t faking.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A soft exhale left Cody’s lips as he half-turned in his chair to place the datapad back on his desk. “Then you need to help me out, Wooley. Help me understand.” His brown eyes bore into Wooley’s own. “You know all promotions come across my desk, correct?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you’ll understand why I was surprised to see the promising young Corporal suddenly being written up for multiple infractions I would expect to see from a first-deployment shiny.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Corporal, sir?” Wooley could feel his eyes bulging out of his head. He must have made a ridiculous picture, eyes wide and mouth agape, but in the moment all he could hear was that one word echoing around in his head: </span>
  <em>
    <span>corporal. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“But I’m not— they never said, sir!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s because you haven’t earned it yet.” Cody’s stern voice cut through Wooley’s excitement, and he wilted back quicker than an Alderaanean moonflower after the first frost. “Sergeant Dodge withdrew your recommendation for promotion. Longshot has been suggested in your place.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the bitterness he felt hearing those words, Wooley couldn’t help but bear some amount of satisfaction knowing his best friend could at least take his place. Corporal Longshot. That was a mouthful. He could already see Longshot’s grin and hear the way he would whoop and yell when he heard the news. “Longshot’s a good choice, sir. He deserves it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A deep frown knitted Cody’s eyebrows together. Anticipating admonishment, Wooley’s hands tightened around the bucket between them. It kept them from trembling, at least. It wasn’t that he was afraid of Commander Cody; no, not even when he was wrapped in terrifying rage in the midst of battle was Wooley ever truly scared of his Commander. Rather, the deep chasm of despair and fear and uncertainty had again opened in his chest, and this time, Wooley wasn’t sure he could keep it down. He wasn’t sure he wanted to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trooper.” Cody’s voice saw Wooley straightening to perfect attention, suddenly all too aware of himself. “I don’t take this decision lightly. Out of all the troopers in this battalion, you were chosen to become part of Ghost Company because of your exemplary performance. Do you understand that this company only takes the best of the best? Do you understand that I have personally hand-picked every trooper, down to the medics and mechanics? Do you understand that out of those exceptional men, you were singled out by your Sergeant as the top of your platoon? You were his first choice, Wooley. I’m inclined to trust my Sergeant’s instincts. He sees the potential in you, and so do I. I’m not letting you off that easy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t expect you to, sir.” Wooley tilted his chin up and inhaled, allowing his chest to expand with the motion, before slowly letting out all the air. He didn’t feel brave. He felt as he had in the moment Vale had come to him, asking him to do things he barely understood, things that made him feel small and powerless and dirty. Those feelings hadn’t gone away when Vale did, hadn’t escaped even after the conversation with Dogma loosened the knot of guilt in his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A fleeting memory of a boy untainted by Vale’s hands floated across Wooley’s mind. At just six standard years, clone cadets were expected to be ready for the battlefield. Dressed in pint-sized armor, they would begin the simulations with standard battle droids and weapons in their hands. The date of his first simulation had crept up on Wooley, the smallest of his batch, far before he was ready. Only the reassuring words of the Year Eight cadet running the scenario had moved his fear-frozen legs onto the simulation floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You know, it’s alright to be scared. There’s no difference between acting brave and being brave, really. You just have to pretend to be brave until you feel it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooley didn’t feel brave. He felt terrified. But he also thought that maybe it didn’t matter, that just like the simulation, if he pushed past that voice in the back of his head that told him he was too meek and too frightened, he might find that he was brave enough after all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cody had continued talking through Wooley’s reminiscence, though Wooley hardly heard a word he was saying. Before that needling voice in the back of his head could talk him out of it, Wooley opened his mouth and forced the words out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir, I have something to report to you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooley’s heart was tapping a quick staccato against his ribcage. He had never interrupted a Commander before. By the look on Cody’s face, he wasn’t a man that was used to being interrupted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s important, sir. I meant to tell you a long time ago, but…” A smile tugged on the corners of Wooley’s mouth as he recalled Longshot’s words from earlier. “I guess I didn’t have the </span>
  <em>
    <span>gett’se,</span>
  </em>
  <span> sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amusement flickered over Cody’s features. If there was one thing Wooley knew, it was that the Commander of the Third Systems Army had planet-sized durasteel </span>
  <em>
    <span>gett’se.</span>
  </em>
  <span> But Cody had been a cadet once too, and maybe he had to practice being brave just like they all did. Maybe he would understand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on, Wooley.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir. I need to report an incident of sexual assault, sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However Wooley had expected Commander Cody to react, this surely wasn’t it. His usual calm demeanor transitioned into something harder, something dark and clouded that Wooley wasn’t used to. In just a few seconds, Cody seemed to age ten years as the lines and shadows on his face deepened. Wooley had never been scared of his Commander before. Maybe he should have been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you reporting it for yourself or someone else?” Cody finally asked after gathering himself. For all that his visible fury simmered beneath the surface, his voice came out surprisingly calm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Myself, sir.” Wooley swallowed thickly. “It happened about six months ago. Almost seven now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who was it?” Cody asked the question like he already knew the answer, and Wooley supposed he did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“General Vale, sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The admission lay thick in the air around them. Cody shifted, moving so he was briefly turned away, but Wooley could see the way his scar puckered with the rest of his face. Wooley was sure the Commander didn’t know what to say, and neither did he, but he was still riding the high of interrupting the Marshal Commander of the Third Systems Army and he figured he had a little more left in him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It happened when I was first transferred off Kamino, sir. General Kenobi was away. General Vale took over our training for a few weeks. I remember the others telling me I should be grateful ‘cause this was the most downtime we were gonna get before we deployed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I remember.” Cody straightened and turned back to Wooley. There was a softness to his expression that hadn’t been there before, and the last of Wooley’s resolve wavered in it. He was doing his best to retain his composure; this was Cody after all, Wooley’s superior officer, the Commander of the entire kriffing Third Systems Army—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he was looking at Wooley like he was somebody important, like he cared what he had to say, and it had been a long time since Wooley had believed that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you tell me what happened?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.” The bed creaked as Wooley shifted on it. He found it easier to stare at Cody’s breastplate as he spoke, and so he did, his gaze unwavering as the memories swept him away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“General Vale worked with my squad on a training exercise. He didn’t normally talk to the men for very long, but I guess he kinda took a liking to us. It was me, Longshot, ‘Shift, Waxer, and Boil. They were leading the exercise. I was just doing what I was told to do because I didn’t really know anything yet, but the General said I was doing a good job. Said I had promise. He wasn’t like how everyone said the Jedi were. He was strict, sure, and he didn’t tolerate messing around, but he learned all our names and listened to us and even sat with us a couple times for meals. I was scared at first ‘cause you hear the stories about Jedi and they seem like gods, almost. But General Vale wasn’t like that. He was good to us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A brief pause allowed Wooley time to collect his thoughts, and then he was barreling on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He asked me to come back to his quarters one night about a week into training. I didn’t think it was very unusual. Sometimes he asked the squad leaders to meet with him after hours, so I thought… well, I just figured he wanted to talk about the training exercise. It was kinda late and I was already dressed down, but he said that was alright. When I came to his quarters, he had a holo of the simulation up and we talked for a little bit about the exercise from that day. The General said he wanted me to lead the next day, and I was surprised, but he said I was doing really well. Even better than some of the others that had been there longer. He said I had a lot of potential, but I still needed work, and… he said I needed his help. He said he could help me reach my full potential. That’s when…. well.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What exactly happened?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooley eyed Cody warily as he reached up to run his fingers through the thick tuft of hair at the top of his head. “You want me to tell you everything?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cody hesitated, and Wooley could see his face flicker before he nodded. “Just what’s important.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.” Wooley took in a shaky breath. He couldn’t stop now. Commander Cody deserved to know the truth, just as Wooley deserved to have the weight of this guilt lifted off his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It started off with him just touching me. My shoulders, my back, my legs. It made me feel strange, but I didn’t say anything. I figured he was being friendly. I thought maybe this meant he liked me, and maybe that was a good thing. I’ve always wanted to be a Sergeant. Maybe if I…” Wooley’s voice wavered. “Maybe if I did what he wanted, maybe if he liked me, then I would be promoted and people would respect me. I don’t know what I thought. But then things escalated. He said I should know to follow orders, and if he asked me to do something, I had to obey without question. I couldn’t be a good soldier if I didn’t know how to obey orders. I told him I did, that I always obeyed orders, and even when I didn’t understand why he wanted me to do something, I still did it. When he asked me to take off my clothes, I did. When he told me to touch him and let him touch me, I did. When he told me to get on my knees and be good, I did. And when he told me to lie down and be quiet, I… I did that too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cody was silent while Wooley talked, and at some point while he recounted his story, the Commander’s demeanor changed. There was a certain sharpness to him when he was talking to his men, obvious in the way he held his head up high, strode with purpose, and talked like he expected people to listen. Now, sitting nearly knee-to-knee with Wooley’s vulnerability, Cody was no longer the Marshal Commander of the Third Systems Army. He was just Cody, just another brother sharing in his pain. Moisture welled up in Wooley’s eyes at the realization. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just wanted to be a good soldier.” Wooley was barely speaking above a whisper now. “He wanted me to do all these things I didn’t understand. I was confused. It felt wrong, I knew it was wrong deep down, but I didn’t know what to do. It happened again the next day. General Vale told me I shouldn’t say anything, that even if I did, no one would believe me. I didn’t want you to think I was weak, sir. I thought if I just kept it to myself, it would be fine. But now I…” Wooley’s breath hitched, and he leaned forward to press his palms into his eyes. Wetness stained his hands and trickled down his wrists. “I want the promotion, sir. More than anything. It’s what I’ve always wanted. I’m trying, I’m still trying, but I haven’t been sleeping well and I keep getting sick and it’s hard not to think about it all after what happened with the 501st.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not weak, Wooley.” Wooley lifted his head when he heard Cody’s chair squeak and groan, and a moment later, Cody was sitting beside him on the bunk. He maintained a polite distance, but he was close enough to comfort. Wooley hurriedly wiped his eyes and laced his fingers in his lap again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was too cowardly to come to you from the beginning when I should have. I was afraid of what General Vale might do. I was afraid of what you might think.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You never should’ve been put in that position,” Cody said. He took a glance at Wooley’s withered form and sighed. “You may not have been able to come forward then, but you are now. That shows strength.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But if I had told you back then, maybe the rest of it wouldn’t have happened,” Wooley said quietly. “Dogma. Commander Fox’s men. I heard there were a couple from the 327th too, from when they were on Coruscant a while ago. None of that would’ve happened if I said something.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a lot to put on your shoulders,” Cody responded. “You don’t know what would’ve happened. General Vale did reprehensible things, but none of that is your fault. He deserves the blame for that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooley nodded a little and sniffled as he wiped his swollen eyes again. “I know that what I’m saying right now probably isn’t going to affect anything since he’s in jail now, but I felt like you should know, sir. I talked to Dogma a couple weeks ago and asked him if he thought I should tell you, and… well, he didn’t exactly say yes or no, but he said talking made him feel better. And if it was important to me, I should tell you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did the right thing.” Cody lifted his hand as if to touch Wooley’s arm, but aborted upon realizing the implication of that action. Wooley smiled a little and shifted back, opening himself up with his body and his words. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright, sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Warmth spread through Wooley’s body when he felt the heavy comfort of Cody’s hand resting on his shoulder. He found himself leaning into it as he listened to Cody speak. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to you was wrong. General Vale never should’ve put you in that position, and he never should’ve ordered you to do something like that. I’m sorry that happened to you, Wooley. I’m sorry it’s had to come to this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not your fault, sir,” Wooley said firmly. “He manipulated all of us, including me. Including you. I guess I never thought a Jedi would do something like that. I never thought of one of our own betraying us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish I could say it never happens.” Cody’s mouth twisted into a firm line, and he shook his head. “Did you see a medic when it first happened?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, sir,” Wooley said. Shame crept into his voice again. “I was too embarrassed about what happened. I didn’t tell anyone. I just wanted to shower and forget it ever happened. Except I can’t forget now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that what’s been causing your erratic behavior?” Cody asked, and Wooley sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess you could say that, sir. I don’t want to make excuses. I know I haven’t been performing as well. I know I’m falling behind, and I’ve been late, and… the sick thing isn’t my fault, sir, it really isn’t. I know Sergeant Dodge probably thinks I’m making it up by now, but I’m not. I can’t help it when I start feeling sick, like I’m gonna puke, because something happens or somebody says something that reminds me of it and I just feel so cold and nauseous. Like somebody dunked me in ice water and shook me up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Uninvited as it was, General Vale’s voice still crept back into his thoughts on occasion. Wooley could hear the echoes of him, could feel his hands, could smell the spicy scent he had come to associate with the General’s room. Even now, it was difficult to listen to Commander Cody’s reprimands without the memories invading his mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can see the potential in you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It would be such a shame to waste so much potential. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you understand that out of those exceptional men, you were singled out by your Sergeant as the top of your platoon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’re at the top of your platoon. You want to stay there, don’t you?</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to take it that easy on you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Come here. Did you really think it would be that easy? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooley could no longer hear what Cody was saying. One moment, he was calm and collected, feeling for once that he was entirely in control of the situation. The next, Wooley’s ragged breathing had filled the space, and the pale, gaunt draw of his face betrayed the fear and horror flooding his body. He was scrambled like a broken droid processor, mind running a mile a minute, with only one train of thought still on the rails: </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not now, please not now, not in front of Commander Cody, please stop make it stop make him stop— </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Through the ringing in his ears, a gentle voice floated to Wooley, and he grasped it like a lifeline to pull himself out of the deep pit he had been sinking into. Slowly, he became aware that Cody was no longer sitting beside him, but was now crouching in front of him on the floor, face pinched with concern. A soft pattering sound drew Wooley back into reality. He looked down to see moisture running along the divots in his leg armor. His cheeks were wet. A hasty swipe of his hand over his face banished the last of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir, I’m sorry.” A soft, shuddering gasp left him as Wooley tried to pull himself together. “I don’t know what happened. Sometimes it’s just overwhelming.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright, Wooley.” Cody sat next to him again and watched quietly as Wooley sniffled and mopped off his face. “But I am concerned about your ability to perform your duties in this state.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooley’s head snapped up, his eyes begging Cody. “Sir, I promise I can. I’ll get it together. I’ll do anything you need me to do, please, sir. I know it’s been a rough few weeks. I haven’t been functioning well, sir, but I still can, I can still do my duties. Please don’t transfer me or send me for reconditioning. I can control it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cody held up a hand to stop Wooley’s babbling and waited until he trailed off to speak. “You’re not getting transferred or reconditioned.” His voice was so firm and sure that Wooley relaxed, placated. “I don’t believe in dismissing problems just because they’re difficult to deal with. That’s not fair to you. Besides, I would be losing a valuable asset to this battalion if I sent you away.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small glimmer of hope ignited in Wooley’s heart at Cody’s words. He still had trouble believing what he was saying, but even if a fraction of it was true, Wooley wanted to hold onto it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you mean, sir?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Medical leave,” Cody stated plainly, “for an unspecified illness. Two days is all I can spare you. It should be enough time for you to figure out what you need.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I’m not sick, sir,” Wooley blurted out in shock. “I meant it when I said I could get it under control. I will. I’ll figure out how.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t doubt that. This isn’t a punishment.” Cody fell silent for a moment. “Wooley, I can’t hope to understand what you’re going through right now. But I do know my men, and I know that sometimes they just need a little time to get their heads screwed on straight after something traumatic happens.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooley exhaled through his teeth. “This isn’t just battle fatigue, or anxiety, or anything like that, sir. I should be able to handle this myself. I can. I will.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooley’s skin was crawling, and no matter which way he looked, he couldn’t shake off Cody’s gaze. Pity-- the one thing he dreaded, the thing he despised, the thing that had kept him from coming to Cody in the first place. He didn’t want the Commander’s pity any more than he wanted General Vale’s head on a pike. So much had already been taken from him. His privacy, his dignity, his sense of self-worth and confidence. All Wooley wanted to be was a good soldier, but that image of himself was slipping through his hands like water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Cody spoke again, Wooley braced himself for the Commander’s pity. It was what he had witnessed on the faces of his brothers when they whispered about Dogma; it was in their voices when they passed on the news of their brothers in other battalions coming forward; it was in the Commander’s eyes while Wooley recounted his story. But this time, there was none. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“During one of my very first battles as a Commander, almost two-thirds of the men in my battalion were killed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blunt, but it got the point across. Though Wooley was wary, his curiosity was piqued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Afterwards, I stood alone in the middle of the chaos, watching the few medics we had left drag half-mangled bodies into the tents. They tried to save as many as they could. We had to leave the dead ones on the field, only…” Cody’s tongue darted out to lick his dry, cracked lips. “Only they weren’t all dead. It’s a mercy to die quickly. We could hear screams all through the night. When it was finished, only one hundred and eighty-seven men survived out of six hundred and sixty. Fifty of those were so injured they would never fight again. I don’t know what happened to them after. Despite all the loss we had incurred, in the moment, my training kicked in. For days, weeks, close to a month, I did my job. I helped build up the battalion again. I brought in whole platoons full of shinies, green as they could get, and lied through my teeth about what an honor it was to serve in this Army. How they could depend on their brothers to have their backs, how that was what would save their asses out in the field. Only they didn’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A fair many rotations ago, Wooley had been just an awestruck and starry-eyed shiny meeting Commander Cody for the first time. He was tall, broad-shouldered, confident, and battle-hardened; the embodiment of a command clone, what they all strived to be. Standing in his white, unmarked armor, terrified but so excited he was shaking, Cody had seemed even more imposing to Wooley. But even then, he’d had a look in his eye that spoke of a soldier who had seen enough war for a thousand lifetimes. Cody wore that same emotion draped over his body like a kit made of durasteel now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It didn’t hit me until I had to send those shinies off to battle too, just like their brothers before them, and watch as only the lucky few got to come back. At some point, it all became too much. Maybe it was all the stim packs. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. Maybe it was battle fatigue, I don’t know.” Cody looked at Wooley. “I could no longer lead my men the way they needed to. I was anxious. I was irritable. I made bad decisions. I was going to get people killed. And somebody stepped in. Somebody stepped in for me, and they said enough. I couldn’t go on like that anymore. So I went to the medbay, and I spent a whole day pacing around one tiny room, letting it all come down around me until I couldn’t stand it anymore. There was a shiny medic at the time with an easy smile, just got his name because of it. He sat with me for two days straight while I did what I needed to do to figure myself out. And when I came out, I could be the leader my men needed again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a good story, but in Wooley’s eyes, it was just that: a story. His own doubts started to creep back in, old fears that made him wonder if he would ever see an end to this. “I get the point you’re trying to make, sir. I just don’t see how I could get better in two days.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not about getting better,” Cody replied. “That’s not what this is. It’s about learning how to deal with it so you can keep moving forward. You’re not weak for needing this. You’ll be stronger for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooley clenched his jaw tightly to keep his lips from trembling when he spoke. He didn’t feel strong, but maybe he could learn how, like Commander Cody had to learn how to deal with the deaths of four hundred and seventy-three men, and all the ones after that. “Sir, do you really think it would help me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it takes a strong man to ask for help when he needs it. And I think you could use somebody to get you out of your head,” Cody said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooley nodded reluctantly. “Sir, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this. I’ve been thinking about it almost nonstop for six months, but even more since I spoke with Dogma. He made me realize that what happened really was wrong. But in my head, I kept wondering if maybe I did something to deserve it. Or maybe it was stupid of me to feel like I did. Maybe it wasn’t as big of a deal as I thought. I felt crazy. I felt like I would never really understand what happened, that I should just let it go. But I couldn’t.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You couldn’t let go of it because you knew it was wrong. You’re a good man. You knew what the right thing to do was, and you did it. There’s no shame in that. You should be proud.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooley’s slow, deliberate exhale said more than he could have with words. He ignored the way his throat tightened and his voice shook, this time not out of sorrow, but gratitude. “Thank you, sir. Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cody stood and extended a hand to Wooley, an offering.“Report to the medbay tomorrow. Ask for Easy. He’ll take care of you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.” Placing his palm in the Commander’s warm grasp, Wooley allowed himself to be pulled up until he was eye to eye with him. Cody held on a moment too long, and when he pulled away, he left behind the memory of a gentle squeeze. A reassurance, but most importantly, a promise. General Vale had convinced Wooley he was alone. His touches were fear; they were malice; they were shame and silence and sadness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Commander Cody’s touches were hope. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cody walked Wooley to the door and stood there as he lingered, his hand on the doorframe. There was something left to be said, a question that Wooley nearly left without asking. He paused before his boots left the threshold of Cody’s quarters. “Sir?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Wooley?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think there’s any chance I might still get promoted to Corporal?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cody paused and considered the question. “Ghost Company isn’t in immediate need of a replacement. I’ll hold off on my recommendation for two weeks. If you can show improvement in that time, I’ll consider you. I don’t expect perfection, but I do want to see you trying.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A grin nearly split Wooley’s face in half. “Yes, sir. I will, sir. You won’t be disappointed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I believe you.” Cody returned Wooley’s joy with a small smile, and even when Wooley turned to leave, he could still feel Cody’s pride following him until he was out of sight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t until later that night, when Wooley was staring up at a dark ceiling under the comforting blanket noise of his brothers around him, that he fully appreciated the impact of Commander Cody’s gentle guidance. As his brothers slowly quieted down, Longshot, ever the nosy brother, poked his head down over the edge of his bunk to bother Wooley with the question that had been burning in his mind all afternoon and evening. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What did Commander Cody want from you, anyway?</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was less what he wanted from Wooley, and more what Wooley could give to him; a promise, to heal himself, to discover the man he wanted to be in the wake of all that had happened. Wooley wasn’t sure who that man was yet, but for the first time in six months, he was excited to get to know him. </span>
</p>
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